Friday, November 29, 2013

'Walking, I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands.' - Linda Hogan, Native American Writer

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Friday, November 22, 2013

'A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between her work and her play, her labour and her leisure, her mind and her body, her education and her recreation. She hardly knows which is which. She simply pursues her vision of excellence through whatever she is doing and leaves others to determine whether she is working or playing. To herself she always seems to be doing both. Enough for her that she does it well.' - Zen Buddhist Master

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Oh November. Your slowing of time brings forth all there is to be grateful for. Your sun fades all of that glorious color from the month before into a sea of washed out colors that in the afternoon light has a golden glow. A glow that leaves us feeling your presence, helping us to feel our own.

Here, in this month, there is time for quiet reflection. To thank and be thanked. To love and be loved. And let us not forget to thank you, for your light.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

November. The raw, stark beauty gets me every year. And yet, with all the hustle and bustle around the corner, it can go by way too quickly if I don't take the time slow down. This November, I am making a deliberate effort to connect with nature, to bring it into our home in order to pause each day, recognize where I am and all that I am thankful for by hanging a thankful card.

Last weekend, as Arte was out with the mower battling the leaves, I headed into our woods for branches. I'm not sure who was more startled upon my exit. Me at the sight of the mower getting a little too close or Arte by a crazy branch lady running out of the woods. It had to be a funny sight.

Those same branches have been arranged into a 'tree' of sorts that sits on one of my favorite pieces of furniture with a few pieces of artwork, mine and others, that bring me joy.

Reflecting here is easy. Natural. Comforting. A place I look forward to being. The week has brought many things to be thankful for. A happy Jax, new product orders and an unexpected rainbow.

I ended the week at the vet for a routine laser therapy for Jax and before leaving the tech brought out her one pound puppy. Oh my heart. I fell in love fast as that little love snuggled into my neck. One of the benefits of an almost blind dog, is that he never noticed. I could have held her for a few minutes or an hour. I'm really not sure, but I do know the joy was the same.

Monday, November 4, 2013

With some of my bases from class ready, it was time to dig in this past weekend and begin product development. It was the best kind of mess to have in the kitchen. It smelled beautiful, was rewarding and did not equate to a sugary or high calorie treat. Rather it was a treat for the senses and a soothing reward for overworked hands.

In addition to a couple of different batches of soap, a new lavender salve is ready for testing. The healing properties of lavender and calendula in this salve is sure to heal dry, cracked hands. It's made with love and hope; all one has to do is use daily. Nature will do the rest.

Packaging is always by far my favorite part of the process. Playing and fussing over the details is pure joy for me. And imaging the surprised and delighted testers receiving these is icing on the cake.

About Me

A magical childhood centered around the kitchen table where the sharing of tall tales, recipes and laughter fueled imagination and play – comes full circle in my pursuit of a back to basics way of life. I am a believer that when we nurture we heal and when we heal, we preserve the sacred. My days are spent creating a nest where one can lean into the flow of the day and feel loved. In this nest, one can find me tending to a small family, being an artist of paint and collage, developing a line of skin care that is as natural and as it is pretty, dabbling as an herbalist, teaching at my farm table, and writing. I live in upstate New York surrounded by pine trees and swaying locusts.